My Baby Girl
by shegoismyfav
Summary: AU. For the third Quarter Quell, children between the ages of five and eleven are to be reaped. Effie can barely stand it. Katniss Everdeen is five years old, and is District Twelve's tribute. She still has the innocence of a child her age, ideas about the Games hazy. Effie will have to escort her to certain death...Or is it?
1. Prologue

It was cruel really, how the Capitol found entertainment in children murdering one another. But for it to be children of the ages five to eleven was just barbaric. Even Effie Trinket, escort for District Twelve, thought so, and she had seen her share of horrific deaths. No one had expected the third Quarter Quell to be so drastic a reminder of the rebellion, not even President Snow, she was sure of that. It was one thing to escort young teenagers and young adults, but children, _true_ children, were a completely different story.

_"As a reminder to the Districts that a future can be stolen in the blink of an eye, this year's tributes will be reaped from the youngest children, ages five to eleven." _That one sentence had shocked all of Panem, and just like that, the entire nation, save the Captiol, was grieving. Who knew such a small card could do so much damage?

She could hardly bear to walk onto the stage on Reaping Day. And she definitely couldn't look out into he crowd as she usually did. Forlorn and terrified faces stared back at her. She noticed Peacekeepers were positioned around the square so that the parents couldn't swoop in and save their children. The teenagers stood glaring at her, and she couldn't blame them.

For the first time since she began escorting twelve years prior, she truly felt like a monster.


	2. The Reaping

"Welcome, welcome," Effie trilled with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. "The time has come to select one courageous young lady and gentleman for the honor of competing in the third annual Quarter Quell. As always, ladies first."

She walked over to the large glass bowl, taking in the sight of all the pieces of paper gathered within. It was almost overflowing, and she was certain she had never seen as many names before. Hesitantly, she reached inside and began swirling her fingers around, trying to ignore the sobbing that had started in the crowd. Slips of paper fell over the rim as her hand moved, and when she thought she had taken as much time as she could, she closed her fingers around a slim piece of paper and pulled it out. She felt sick as she walked back to the microphone, looking out at the innocent children, one of which was about to be sentenced to die.

Unfolding the paper, she scanned the name and took a deep breath.

"Katniss Everdeen."

For a moment, no one moved and the square was silent. Then, a small child from the very front row began to move. She wore a yellow sun dress, which complimented her skin extraordinarily well, and had her dark brown hair pulled into a simple braid that fell over one shoulder. It was all Effie could do to contain a sob. She had chosen a five year old.

The small child struggled up the stairs to the stage, her eyes, which the woman now saw were a startling shade of silver, glassed over and her lower lip trembling. But she didn't cry. She walked up and stood by Effie's side as though she were an adult, and for some inexplicable reason Effie was proud of her.

"And now for the boys," she said, trying to control the tremble in her voice.

She walked over to the other glass bowl, almost identical to the girls'. Names fell to the ground as her hand swirled around inside until she grasped a random slip.

"Gale Hawthorne," she read, and watched with great sadness as a seven year old boy climbed onto the stage. He was almost identical to the girl, she noticed, possibly they were related. "I give you your tributes for the seventy-fifth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne."

There was no cheering, not that she had expected any. After a few seconds of silence, she was given the signal that the broadcast had been cut and began ushering the children into the Justice Building.

"Where are we going?" asked the girl.

"You get an hour to say good-bye to your families," she explained, willing her voice not to crack.

The boy shook off her hand almost immediately after the doors closed, and she winced. Katniss on the other hand, slipped her little hand into hers and swung their joined arms back and forth as she escorted her to her designated room. It was clear she still held innocence that the boy did not have, and the woman knew they could sell that, though the chances of her winning were still almost nonexistent. They stopped outside a large door, and Effie let go of the child's hand.

"This is where you say good-bye."

"Are you coming back?" Katniss asked, a glimmer of fear in her eye.

"Yes, dear, I'll come back in an hour, after you've seen your parents."

No further explanation given, the child entered the room. Effie sighed. She couldn't do this. She couldn't take such young children to a place where they were going to be slaughtered. The boy clearly knew all about the Games. And why wouldn't he? He was older, and it wouldn't have been too many years before he was eligible anyway.

Katniss clearly understood the Reaping was a bad thing, as she'd been on the verge of tears when she'd been called, but how much did she know about the Games? Did she know that in one short week she'd be fighting other children to the death? Effie didn't think so, and it broke her heart.

* * *

><p>Katniss sat on a plush velvet sofa, swinging her legs back and forth as she waited for her parents. She didn't have to wait long, as they were ushered in by Peacekeepers minutes later. Her mother was sobbing and her father's eyes looked haunted. Her baby sister, Prim, was whimpering in her mother's arms.<p>

"Hey, baby girl," her father said as he hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Hi, Daddy," Katniss responded, content to stay in her father's arms. "Daddy, are the Games bad?"

The man took a deep breath. It was treason to speak against the Capitol or the Games, but what more could they do to him? They were already taking away his daughter.

"Yes, honey, they are. Bad things happen there, things people would rather forget.

"Like what?"

"Sweetie, you're going to have to fight other kids."

"But Daddy," Katniss said, "you said fighting was bad."

"It is, honey, it is. But now I'm telling you to fight as hard as you can. Use that punch I know you have." He tried to smile, but couldn't. "Katniss, you're not just going to fight. You're going to have to kill people."

"No! That's bad and wrong and, and..." the child gasped, horrified.

"I know, I know. But if you want to come home to me and Mommy and Prim, you have to. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Good."

He kissed her head again before allowing his wife to take the girl. She hugged her fiercely, Prim in the middle, and sobbed. Prim began screaming in distress, displeased that she was being crushed. Katniss took her from her mother's arms, cooing and humming until she calmed down. Their parents watched in dismay, wondering how they could live without her.

"Don't cry, Prim. I'll come back, I promise. And maybe Effie will even let me bring you a present. Maybe a teddy bear."

The baby, as if understanding her sister's words, cooed and smiled.

* * *

><p>Effie was pacing the halls of the Justice Building as she waited for the hour to be up. She almost wished time would stop, at least that way the children wouldn't have to die. Before she knew it she had to go and fetch Gale and Katniss, though she took no joy in doing so. Gale was perhaps even more surly than he was previously, but Katniss just looked sad. She once again took her hand, though she didn't swing their arms.<p>

"What's wrong, dear?" Effie asked as the child continued to stare at the ground.

"Daddy said I have to kill people to come home," she answered, still not looking her in the eye.

"Well, duh," Gale interrupted, and Effie glared at him. "That's what the Games are all about. Twenty-four go in, and one comes out. Blood, starvation, dehydration, being mauled, there are any number of ways to die. And the Capitol loves every one of 'em."

Katniss whimpered and clutched the woman's hand tighter, pressing against her hip and almost causing her to lose her balance.

"Gale," she said in a warning tone.

"I wonder how you'll die," the boy continued, ignoring her. "Maybe you'll die at the beginning, in the bloodbath."

"W-what's that?" Katniss asked, though she continued to cling to Effie.

"It happens at the beginning. The tributes step off their plates and fight over the weapons and food. They kill each other with knives and other things, as brutally as they can. Perhaps you'll die of starvation, or by knife. Maybe you'll be lucky and they'll snap your neck. Either way, you're not leaving the arena alive."

"That is quite enough!" Effie snapped, stopping to bend down and console the now crying child hugging her leg. "Shh, Katniss. Don't listen to him. Sometimes things aren't all that bad."

"But it's true?" the girl asked through her tears.

"Yes, dear," Effie said with a sigh.

She said no more, and resumed leading them to the train, trying to ignore Katniss' sniffles as she calmed herself down.


	3. The Train

Though she was escorting the children to certain death, Effie couldn't help but be a tad bit excited when they stepped onto the train. She always loved to see the tributes reactions, and she was especially curious this year since they were so young. And perhaps if they were lucky Haymitch would stay holed up in his room for the duration of the trip. That was the last thing she needed, him terrifying the poor children more than they already were. Katniss kept a firm grip on her hand as she guided them into the dining car and turned to look at their faces.

The little girl was awestruck, never having seen so much food in her life. Gale, though he tried to hide it, was equally impressed, though she suspected disgust at the extravagance was also at the forefront of his mind. Katniss appeared as though she wanted a closer look, as her grip slackened and she took a step forward, but she stopped and looked back at Effie.

"Can I?" she asked, and the woman was impressed with her manners.

"Of course, darling, it's all for you."

With a blinding smile, Katniss shot toward the table and began exploring the different foods. Effie laughed quietly, never having seen such a reaction from anyone before. Gale glared at her before following his fellow tribute, though he was a bit more cautious of what he chose to try. Katniss was having a blast, trying something from each of the plates and bowls. Effie smiled as she watched, though she was a tad concerned that the girl would make herself sick.

"Careful Katniss, don't make yourself sick," she admonished lightly as she took a seat near the window.

"I won't!" came the slightly muffled response, and the woman cringed at the lack of etiquette.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, it isn't polite."

Well, some things would never change, no matter the age of the children. She had just relaxed when, to her horror, an extremely drunk Haymitch entered the car. She tensed, jumping up and crossing to the table to shield the children from him.

"What've we got here?" he slurred, obviously inebriated past the point of cohesive thought.

"These are the tributes, which you would have known had you bothered to show up this morning!" she snapped, annoyance coloring her tone.

"Look princess, if I wanted to watch babies die I would just take a stroll to the Seam."

The remark was harsh and obviously meant to be cutting. It had the desired effect, as Effie cringed, but steeled her nerves and glared at him.

"Honestly Haymitch, there are children present. Must you say such cruel things?"

"I don't care who's present, it's the truth. These kids haven't got a snowballs chance in hell of getting out of the arena alive."

She noticed the children had stopped eating and were following their discussion with rapt attention.

"Language! And don't say that! I'm sure they have just as much of a chance as the other twenty-two!"

Her words sounded hollow and desperate even to her ears, and it wasn't helping that the inebriated man simply snorted before shoving past her to the rack of liquor bottles. He stumbled and swayed, nearly knocking the whole thing over. The woman watched with displeasure as he opened and downed half the bottle. That seemed to do the trick, as he swayed even more dangerously before passing out completely. Effie sighed, waving over an attendant to drag him back to his room.

The compartment took on an uncomfortable silence as the attendant, Haymitch in tow, left, and Effie deliberately avoided looking at her tributes.

"Is it true?" Gale asked, breaking the silence.

"Is what true, dear?"

"Are we going to die in the arena?"

"W-well, it is a possibility of course-"

"I thought so," he growled before stalking out of the room.

She sighed, upset that Haymitch had planted ideas in the boy's head. She felt a tug on the hem of her skirt, and looked down to see Katniss, silver eyes gleaming with fear, and was that...concern? She crouched down as best she could, feeling her dress strain in all sorts of ways.

"What is it, dear? Did Haymitch scare you?"

Because if he did she was going to kill him. Katniss shook her head no, but didn't let go of the woman's skirt.

"Are you okay?" she asked, startling Effie so much she nearly fell over from shock. "It looked like he hurt your feelings."

"Well, yes, I suppose he did. But that's just Haymitch, you never know what he's going to say."

Silver eyes clouded over with something akin to anger.

"Then I don't like him. Daddy says he's the reason none of our tributes has ever won. And he's mean to you."

"Katniss, it doesn't matter if he's mean to me," Effie said, touched that the girl had taken such a liking to her. "He doesn't like me very much, and he doesn't mind letting others know. But it's not your job to worry about that. Your job is to get strong and win the Games."

"Why is he mean to you?" Katniss asked, determined to understand how he could hate such a nice lady.

"I suspect it's because I'm from the Capitol. Lots of people don't like me because of that."

"But you can't help where you were born."

"I know, sweetie. But not everyone sees it that way."

_'And if you were just a few years older you wouldn't either,'_ she thought to herself as she straightened up. Katniss appeared to be thinking the answer over, and the woman saw when the light of understanding entered her eyes. Effie hoped she hadn't planted any thoughts into her head, but that was quickly dispelled when the child looked up and beamed at her.

"Well I like you, so there."

"And I'm glad you do, sweetie. Now, why don't I take you to your room? You can watch tv until it's time for dinner."

* * *

><p>Effie wasn't sure why she seemed so attached to the small girl. Perhaps because she was one of the only children to look at her without fear. Perhaps because she was willing to listen to her. Perhaps it was because she was so young. Perhaps it was because, in the smallest, most secluded part of her mind, she secretly wished for a child, a little girl to call her own.<p>

But she didn't know, and she didn't particularly want to. It was bad enough she was as kind to the girl as she was. To become emotionally attached would be her downfall. Though it seemed, she thought as she absentmindedly went over the next day's schedule, that it was too late for that. Katniss was sweet, and contained an innocence that was rare and hard to find, and now Effie was beginning to love the small child.

She jumped when a scream pierced the air. Ignoring the large ink swipe across her paper, she jumped up and headed off in the direction the sound came from. She saw several avoxes and attendants rushing into one of the rooms down the corridor, and with a start she realized it was Katniss'. She hurried along faster, almost running, but not quite because running was unlady-like. Entering, she saw quite a large group of people gathered around the bathroom door.

Katniss was nowhere in sight, and it didn't take a genius to realize where she was.

"What on earth is going on here?!" Effie snapped, causing several of the people to turn and face her.

"Since Ms. Everdeen is so young, one of the attendants offered to help her wash her hair. She refused, but didn't begin to scream until the attendant persisted," a man answered, the same one who had helped Haymitch earlier in the day. "I can assure you it was a female who offered," he hastened to add at the woman's glare.

"Well, at least that was something done right," she said as she maneuvered her way to the door. "You're all dismissed, I'll handle things from here."

She didn't wait to see if they obeyed before entering the small room and firmly shutting the door behind her. No sense in giving the world a show after all. Katniss was huddled in a corner of the tub, head down on her knees. She was trembling, and Effie suspected that the eventful day was finally catching up to her.

"Katniss? Katniss dear, it's Effie. Can you look at me, please?" Slowly, the little girl raised her head, teary silver meeting ice blue. "Good girl." She crossed the room and elegantly perched on the side of the tub. "Now, what got you so upset that you screamed?"

"A strange lady came in, and I wasn't expecting her to. Then she tried to wash my hair. I didn't want her to touch me!"

"Why not, sweetie?"

"Too many new people," Katniss said shyly. "And she was strange, like a machine."

"That's because she's trained to follow orders," Effie said gently, removing her gloves and rolling up the sleeves of her dress as best she could.

"I wouldn't want to do that."

"I bet you wouldn't," the woman said, chuckling gently. "I know you don't like new people, but your hair does need to be washed. Will you let me help you?"

"Um, okay."

To Katniss, Effie was someone to trust. She had been kind to her ever since she called her up on stage. And unlike Gale, she believed in them. She was also a woman, and she figured that was the closest to her mommy she was going to get until the Games were over. So she clung to the woman, as she was more afraid than she let on.

Effie peered at the various soaps, shampoos, lotions, and conditioners lining the tub before selecting one she thought the child would like. It was supposed to smell like the forest, and she suspected it would bring her some comfort.

"All right sweetie, come here so I can wet your hair."

Katniss obeyed, positioning herself under the head of the faucet. Effie turned on the water, careful not to make it too hot. The water came out scented like roses, and she quickly turned the scent setting off, afraid the shampoo and water would clash. Katniss sighed as the warm water cascaded down her back. At home, they had to heat their water over a fire if they wanted to take a bath.

It was another thing that amazed her about the Capitol. The older woman, satisfied that the girl's hair was thoroughly wet, turned off the water and squirted some shampoo into her palm. She began to rub and massage it into Katniss' hair, amazed by how thick it was. She noticed she wasn't as disgusted as she probably should be if the amount of coal dust coating her hands was any indication. Was life so horrid in the districts that they couldn't get clean even after a bath?

"Okay Katniss, let me rinse it out and then we'll put some conditioner in."

The little girl nodded, relaxed and sleepy from Effie's ministrations on her scalp. The older woman smiled, feeling her heart melt as the child yawned. She turned the water on, cupping her hand over Katniss' forehead to make sure no shampoo got in her eyes. The girl allowed her complete control, following her hands as they tilted and guided her head to properly rinse her hair.

"You're really good at this," Katniss said around a yawn. "Do you have a little girl of your own?"

"No, sweetie, I don't," Effie said, pang of sadness shooting through her.

"Why? You do what mommies do."

"Not exactly, sweetheart," the older woman said as she turned off the spray. She selected an unscented conditioner, lathering it up and beginning to work it through the now-clean strands. "Give this a few minutes to sit and I'll rinse it out and you'll be done. Then we'll get you dried off and into bed. Does that sound good?"

Katniss didn't answer, almost asleep as it was. Noticing this, Effie gave the conditioner the least amount of time to work as possible, wanting to make sure that she could get her out of the bath and into bed before the child fell completely unconscious. She supported Katniss' back with one hand as she washed out the conditioner with the other. Satisfied that she had calmed the girl down and gotten her thoroughly clean, she coaxed her into standing and stepping out of the water, and laid her hand on the box that dried and untangled her hair. It floated down her shoulders and her back, glittering with gold and light brown highlights.

It was beautiful, and for a moment Effie envied the district people for being able to wear their hair down without dying it an unnatural hue. But it was gone as quickly as it came and she set about dressing the small child for bed. Minutes later, Katniss was clad in a thin pink nightgown, and stumbling sleepily to bed. Avoxes had already turned it down and placed a small bear between the pillows. The older woman tucked her in, making sure she was comfortable before turning out the lights.

"Goodnight, Katniss," she whispered as she exited.

"G'night, Mommy," the small child murmured as the last grips of consciousness lost their hold.

Effie gasped as the door slid closed, unsure whether to feel delighted or dejected.


	4. Arrival, Makeover, and Tribute Parade

**AN: Well, the good thing is I'm back and this is an extra long chapter to make up for 2 weeks w****ithout uploading. And I've also plotted out the entire story so I know where it's going. Thanks for for reading and don't forget to review!**

* * *

><p>She had had a restless night, tossing and turning as Katniss' words bounced around her head. She trusted her. She liked her. She called her mommy. She was going to die.<p>

Effie bit back a sob as she thought of sending the sweet child into the arena. She couldn't do it, she just couldn't. But if she didn't, she and who knew how many others would pay. She wasn't as blind as she appeared, she knew Snow had his ways of controlling the public. Haymitch was a walking example of his management skills.

Her alarm rang out far sooner than she wished, but rather than silence it she rose and readied herself for the day, knowing she couldn't delay the inevitable. She had a few hours to prepare before she had to wake the tributes, and she used them for mentally preparing herself for the cameras. They were due to arrive in the Capitol before the afternoon, and the tribute parade was to take place in the evening. She had to make sure the children were delivered to their stylists and that Haymitch was at least partially sober. After that came training, and she was determined to make sure that Katniss had a chance of winning.

She wasn't expecting her bedroom door to slide open just after seven as she was applying her makeup. Her mind spiraling with thoughts, it took a minute for her to realize she was no longer alone. She jumped in surprise, her thoughts screeching to an abrupt halt. Katniss was sitting in the middle of her bed, hair tangled and ruffled from sleep. She yawned, rubbing her eye as she stared at the older woman.

"Katniss, you scared me. What are you doing in here? It's terribly rude to enter another person's room without permission you know," Effie said as she turned on her seat to stare at the child.

"It's morning and I didn't know where to go. A lady told me this was your room."

Effie stood from her vanity and seated herself beside the child. Katniss, clearly still sleepy, leaned against her side. The older woman began to work her fingers through her hair, gently untangling it and undoing the knots.

"Why are you awake so early? I wasn't going to wake you until eight."

"I always wake up this early when I go to school."

"Sweetheart, you got chosen for the Games, remember?" Effie said, concerned that the girl had forgotten and would melt down once she remembered.

"Yeah, but isn't training kind of like school? I mean, you learn things like you do in school," Katniss said, clearly becoming more awake.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Effie replied.

"Your hair is pretty," the girl said, for the first time noticing her escort lacked the orange wig she had been wearing the previous day.

Effie's hand immediately flew to her hair, which was only partially pinned up. The honey blonde strands hung around her face, contrasting harshly with the makeup she had already applied. She could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks, not only from the compliment, but from embarrassment. It simply was not proper for her to be caught without her wig, by anyone, child or not.

"Oh no, this is highly improper!" she trilled, turning and scrambling for the last few bobby pins to finish pinning up her hair.

"Why? I think it's pretty. Doesn't everybody?" Katniss questioned, and Effie stilled, wig net in hand.

"No sweetie, not in the Capitol."

"Why not? At home we think blonde is really pretty, and if you have blonde hair you're one of the rich kids. Everyone wants to have blonde hair."

Effie almost let out a choked sob. She had never heard anything about the districts beyond what she had seen and what she was taught. And to be told that something she was told was ugly all her life was a symbol of beauty to the child on her bed, well...It touched her deeply.

"Thank you, Katniss. Now, go get dressed and we can have some breakfast. We have big, big, big day ahead of us."

* * *

><p>All she had wanted was a civil meal, was that too much to ask for? Effie had woken Gale up soon after she had sent Katniss to get dressed. He had been less than pleased to be woken up by her rapping on the door, and had rather rudely told her to leave. She had, merely because she needed to wake up Haymitch as well, but she had made sure to give him a lecture on manners. Now they were all sitting around the table, silence descending over them.<p>

Gale sat glaring at the table, refusing to eat. Haymitch was busy spicing his coffee and eating messily as always. Katniss sat looking uncertainly between all of them, clearly confused as to what she should do. Effie sighed. She had so hoped breakfast would be a better affair than dinner the night before.

"Katniss, eat your breakfast. You too, Gale," she said, much to Haymitch's amusement.

He snorted into his coffee, and she pursed her lips in annoyance, but chose to ignore him and eat her egg instead. Katniss, following her lead, began to eat her own breakfast, but still glanced between the occupants of the table.

"Better eat, boy," Haymitch growled after a few minutes more without Gale eating. "Gotta look healthy, otherwise you won't stand a chance."

"I don't want anything they give me. And we don't have a chance anyway. Never did."

Katniss whimpered, and both adults glanced at her, then each other.

"Too bad, boy. Eat and be glad you've got it. And keep your mouth shut. Anyone hears you talk like that and you sure as hell won't get any sponsors."

"Language!" Effie snapped, eyes darting toward Katniss.

Haymitch sighed. It was too early to listen to her rant. But at least he had settled the girl down. He didn't understand why Effie had taken such a liking to her, because to him she was too innocent to survive. If he had to choose one to save, he would save the boy. He had more anger, and anger always turned into fight.

But he could sell the girl's innocence and naïveté, the Capitol always ate that stuff up. And since Effie was so attached, though he told her millions of times to remain distant, he already knew he'd choose the girl. She was kind of cute, not that he'd admit it aloud. From what Effie had told him after she'd jarred him awake earlier, he had made quite a bad impression on the young child. He supposed he would have to rectify that before she went into the arena.

Suddenly, the train was plunged into shadows. When they emerged into the sun seconds later Katniss rushed to the windows, curious as to where they were. She gasped as the city came into view, and Effie smiled at her enthusiasm. Haymitch simply smirked, curious as to when the novelty would wear off.

"Effie, Gale, Haymitch, come look! It's so big and shiny!" Katniss cried, amazed beyond belief at the city she had only ever heard of.

Effie indulged the girl, going to stand beside her. Haymitch wasn't planning on moving, but Effie cleared her throat pointedly. He supposed humoring the girl would be a step in the right direction, so he rose and went to stand by her. He had to fight to keep the scowl off his face as they approached the station, memories that were less than pleasant stirring. Katniss was bouncing in excitement, and the sight amused him. She was, after all, barely tall enough to see out the window.

"Mm! Mmm!" she grunted as she bounced, frustration evident in the sounds. "I can't see!"

Before he thought twice, Haymitch bent over and scooped her into his arms. Her delighted shriek brought a smile to his face for the first time in years, just in time for the train to pull into the station. Katniss waved and smiled at everyone outside the windows, too young to understand how much that move helped her or that those people, in one short week, would be betting on whether or not she would survive. They weren't aware of how they looked standing there in the windows, but with Haymitch's darker blonde hair and his Seam gray eyes, and the way Effie leaned a small portion of her weight against him, hand lightly resting on his bicep, they looked like a family. The crowd went wild at the sight of them, always craving the first glimpse of a tribute.

"See this boy?" Haymitch called over his shoulder to the still sulking Gale, "This is how you win sponsors."

* * *

><p>Katniss was frightened by how large the crowd was. Effie had warned her about it, told her to keep close, but it had nowhere near prepared her for the volume or the sheer amount of people. She clutched the older woman's hand tightly, partially hiding behind her skirt. Haymitch walked on her other side, acting as a buffer between her and the crowd. She was beginning to think he wasn't so bad. He did help her see out the window.<p>

He winked at her as she looked up at him, and she drew courage. She stepped fully out to the side, causing the crowd to go wild once more. She still held Effie's hand, but her grip wasn't as tight. She walked into the Training Center waving and smiling, the whole crowd's focus on her, Gale trailing sullenly at the back.

The four were immediately ushered into an elevator which began to descend into the bowels of the building. Katniss, energy beginning to wear off, leaned against Effie's hip as the box traveled downward. The woman absentmindedly ran her hand over the child's head, and Haymitch frowned at the interaction. If he didn't manage to save the kid it would break something in the woman, he just knew it would.

"Where are we going?" Katniss asked, hand reaching up to play with the woman's bracelets.

Haymitch waited for the rebuke and lecture he knew was coming, barely managing to keep a straight face when the woman said nothing.

"To the Remake Center underneath the building. There you will meet with your stylists and prep teams where they will transform you into new people," Effie explained, ignoring the jingling of her bracelets as Katniss examined them.

"But I don't wanna be a different person. I like me," the small child said, an edge of frustration creeping into her voice.

"No sweetie, I mean physically. They'll just clean you up and put you in a pretty costume."

"More like ridiculous," Haymitch mumbled, getting a glare from his escort for his trouble.

"And what if we don't want to be made over?" Gale asked. "What then?"

"You don't get a choice in the matter," Effie said, her voice rising in pitch with her frustration.

Haymitch placed a hand at the small of her back to soothe her, also silently communicating to let him handle the boy. He felt her muscles relax and the extra weight against his palm as she conceded.

"Look boy, if you cause trouble you don't pay. Your family, your friends, anyone else close to you, they pay. You understand?"

Gale's eyes widened and he nodded, though the frown he had worn didn't go away. The rest of the ride was silent, and thankfully over quickly. They exited into a large room, various prep stations scattered throughout. Six people waited on them, three of which immediately whisked Gale away. Effie gave Haymitch a look, and with an eye roll and sigh he followed the boy.

Effie ushered Katniss over to the waiting people, a bright smile on her face.

"Flavius, Octavia, Venia, this is Katniss."

She gave the girl a small push forward, nudging her closer to the adults. Katniss took a small step forward, looking up at the new people. They weren't like her escort, you could clearly see the alterations they had made to their bodies. Tattoos, dyed skin, dyed hair, and all other manner of things. She didn't want all that stuff done to her.

"Hello, Katniss!" the lady with green skin said.

She moved toward the girl, and she stepped back, quickly hiding behind Effie's legs. The prep team laughed, amused by her actions. Effie, smile becoming strained at Katniss' actions, gently tugged her back into view.

"I'm so sorry, she's just a bit overwhelmed right now."

"Oh it's perfectly all right. It's to be expected, a young child like this. But she'll soon get used to it, after all the interviews and training," Flavius said.

"Oh, and her entrance into the building. Breathtakingly adorable!" Octavia squealed.

"It was, wasn't it?" Effie agreed easily. "Take good care of her won't you?"

With that she took her leave, snagging Haymitch on the way. Katniss gulped as she was left alone with the three adults.

"Okay Katniss, first we're going to remake you to beauty base zero. It's basically what you should look like when you get out of bed in the morning," Flavius said, motioning her to take off her clothes and get into a large tub.

Nervously, she did as she was told, and unknowingly began a series of long baths. The first few were to scrub every speck of dirt and grime off her body and out of her hair. The next was some sort of gel that smoothed her skin and made it glow. The one after was a lotion that removed excess body hair. On and on it went, moisturizers, lotions, gels, and some other combinations that were meant to make her pretty.

When she was finally permitted out of the bath and dried, they set to work on her hair, straightening it and then curling it into gentle waves that fell down her back. Hairspray was applied as was gold glitter, causing her hair to shimmer under the florescent lights. Her eyebrows were next, painful plucking and shaping that caused her to whimper. She had no idea what they were doing, but felt it was best not to protest unless she wanted to get in trouble. They then switched to her hands and feet, painting her nails and toes with some sort of bright red polish.

She wasn't sure how long she had been down there when all three stepped back with pleased smiles. Katniss was sleepy and beginning to become annoyed. She wanted Effie and she wanted a nap. She was sick of these strange people poking and prodding at her every second, and wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"There now, let's get her to Cinna," Venia said.

"Who's Cinna?" Katniss asked, much more awake and wary.

"He's your stylist, dear. He designs all your clothes and gives us a general idea of how to make you up. After today we'll be doing your makeup as well as prep, but he wanted to do it himself first so you wouldn't be frightened."

They helped her off the table and led her down a long hallway, and she noticed Gale had disappeared from the room. They left her in an empty room, save for another table, and she sighed before climbing onto it. She was just beginning to get sleepy again when a man entered. He had all black clothes, black jacket, shirt and pants, and little makeup.

He was drastically different from all the other people she'd seen so far, and though he was still somewhat odd, he was closer to those from home. She instantly felt comfortable with him, smiling as he entered. He smiled back, coming to stand in front of her. She realized then that he had gold eyeliner tattooed onto his eyelids, but somehow it didn't seem out of place.

"Hello Katniss, my name is Cinna," he said, holding out his hand.

"Hi," she said, shyly reaching out and giving his extended hand a firm shake.

"Now, before I do anything else, I want to tell you how sorry I am that you're here. This is no place for a child."

"I miss my mommy and daddy," the child said, suddenly overcome with sadness at the mention of how she really shouldn't be there.

Cinna smiled sadly. He wished he could strangle Snow for bringing such a young innocent child into the Games. But he couldn't, so he committed himself to giving her the best chance possible by making her look fabulous.

"I know you do, but hopefully you'll see them soon. Until then I know Effie will keep you safe and sound." He might be embellishing the truth a little, but he wanted to make her feel better. "Let's get started so we can get you back to her, huh?" Katniss nodded and he smiled. "Good. So, what we want to do is put some makeup on, not too much, and then get you into a pretty outfit for the Tribute Parade."

"Okay," Katniss agreed easily, anything to make the experience end sooner.

Cinna set to work, quickly applying various bases and concealers, making her face smooth and shaped to his liking. He then applied some bronzers to contour her face before moving on to the eyes. Mascara was applied, along with some fake eyelashes and eyeliner. Eyeshadow came after, as did another layer of eyeliner, and then the blusher and lipstick. When the man was finished Katniss no longer looked like a girl from the Seam, but a child model.

Her skin was smooth and had an airbrushed look, the blush and bronzer making her look a few years older. Her gold and orange eyeshadow glittered and shown, complimenting and bringing out her eyes. The eyeliner fanned out into wings and swirls, giving her the appearance of being on fire. Her red lipstick finished it off, tying everything together.

"Gorgeous," Cinna said as he stepped back, admiring his work.

"Thank you," Katniss said, her cheeks darkening under the makeup.

"Let's get you into that outfit," he said, opening the door and guiding her out and into a brightly lit dressing room. A small garment bag hung on a chair, which he retrieved. "Here it is," he said, unzipping it and pulling out a black body suit.

He helped her into it, zipping the back as he did so. It hugged her tightly, almost like a second skin, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It shine under the florescent lighting, somewhat fascinating her until she got used to it.

"You aren't afraid of fire, are you?" Cinna asked, and for a moment she thought he was joking.

"Um, a little," she answered when she realized he wasn't.

"What about fake fire?" he asked, pulling a canister from a side pocket of the bag that she hadn't seen before. "I have to make you represent something from your district, which happens to be coal. But I didn't want to go with a miners outfit. Instead, you'll be the coal."

"Won't it hurt?" Katniss asked, afraid.

"No," Cinna said with a smile, "it's completely harmless, but it looks extremely real."

"Promise?" asked Katniss.

"Yes," Cinna said, giving her a smile as he found himself taken with her innocence. He placed a black hairband over her head for an added touch, pressing a hidden button that caused it spark and glow like fire. "There, now you're ready. All you're missing is the flames."

* * *

><p>The horses were huge. They towered over the girl, and for an instant she was frightened. At least, until a younger victor, a man named Finnick, waltzed over and fed the animal a sugar cube.<p>

"Here," he said, holding one out to her, "you try."

She took it timidly, shy around this new person. She held her hand up as she had seen him do, giggling when the horse accepted her offering. Finnick smiled. He liked this child from Twelve, she reminded him of Annie when they were younger.

"It tickles!" Katniss said, still laughing.

"It does until you're used to it," he responeded, a flicker of movement catching his eye. He looked over his shoulder and saw Effie hurrying toward them, a worried look on her face. "I have to go now, sweetie," he said. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

Katniss watched him go, deciding she liked him. She saw Effie seconds later, and without hesitation ran toward her. The woman gasped as a black streak collided with her legs. Had Haymitch not been following behind her they would have both hit the ground.

"Easy there, sweetheart," he said to Katniss as he steadied Effie.

"Sorry," she said, voice muffled by the woman's skirt.

"Katniss, why did you run into me like that?" the escort asked, still recovering from her mild heart attack.

True, she'd been concerned when she'd noticed Four's victor all alone with the child, but she certainly hadn't expected her to run to her like that.

"I missed you," the girl answered. "I thought you left me and I was alone with new people."

"Oh no, sweetie, no," Effie cooed, her hand gliding through carefully styled curls. "That was necessary to get you ready for the parade. Remember? I told you about it earlier."

"Oh yeah...I forgot," Katniss admitted sheepishly, finally turning her face up to look at the woman.

Effie gasped as she saw the child's remade face for the first time. She looked beautiful, and Effie allowed herself to wonder if she could model for Children's Couture, a spinoff of Capitol Couture, where she herself modeled. Shaking the thought away, she gave her a blinding smile, truly pleased with how she looked, though she wasn't entirely sure of the outfit.

"Oh, you're gorgeous! Isn't she gorgeous, Haymitch?!" she squealed, turning to look at the man.

Haymitch, though he disagreed with putting makeup on a child, had to agree she was quite pretty.

"She's pretty," he grunted, and Effie knew coming from him it was high praise.

"Come dear, let's get you in your chariot!" the woman chirped, guiding Katniss back over to the horses.

Gale was waiting for her this time, face dark and moody. His outfit matched hers, though his makeup wasn't as obvious. His stylist and Cinna were there also, each holding a canister identical to the one he had shown her earlier. Cinna helped Katniss onto the chariot, making sure she was balanced before adjusting her headband and smoothing her curls. The warning trumpet sounded, signaling all tributes to mount their chariots and line up.

Gale's stylist stepped up beside Cinna, and Katniss turned to look at them. He grinned as he looked her in the eye.

"Ready?" he asked, and she nodded.

He gave a nod to his partner, turned a knob on the side of the canister, and pressed down on the nozzle. Realistic flames shot out of the tip, engulfing the suits the children were wearing. Escorts, mentors, and other tributes stopped and stared, some glaring and some applauding, before resuming their appointed tasks. Effie gasped and took a step forward, but Haymitch held her back by the arm. She turned a questioning and frightened gaze on him, to which he responded to by nodding toward the kids. She looked again, and noticed they didn't seem to be burning alive or even in pain. Relaxing, she allowed him to lead her to the viewing room.

Katniss gasped as the heat surrounded her, amazed that it didn't scorch or burn. She skimmed her fingers through the flames, feeling their warmth but coming out unscathed. Her eyes darted to Gale, who, if possible, looked even angrier than before.

"It's just a trick," he growled as the massive doors opened onto the city square, "for their amusement."

He said nothing else, silence descending over the pair despite the roar from the crowd assembled outside. Finally, their chariot lurched forward, the motion almost causing them to lose their footing. The sun blinded them as they emerged, and when the crowd saw their outfits the roar grew louder. Flowers, bags of coins, and all manner of other things were thrown toward them. Katniss waved and smiled, managing to snag a flower as it fell.

She noticed the screens displaying the other tributes' progress kept flickering back to them, and it was then she saw how fierce they looked. Flames streaming out behind them, they screamed danger. Though, she supposed, that was the point. They looped the circle once before gliding to a stop underneath the president's balcony. Katniss stared in awe as the leader of the country spoke, congratulating them on being chosen for the Games and reiterating how special it was to be chosen for a Quell, too young to understand the evil lurking within him.

When he had finished, the anthem blared and the horses moved forward again, taking them back to the Training Center. Cinna and his partner were waiting with different containers, quickly spraying them as the chariot glided to a stop. The flames went out, and Katniss missed them immediately. Cinna helped her down, and as he lifted her to the ground she saw Haymitch and Effie approaching. He grabbed her before she could run to them, and she looked at him questioningly.

"Katniss, this is Portia," he said, referring to Gale's stylist. "I realized I hadn't introduced you earlier."

"Hi," Katniss said distractedly as she tried to worm her way out of Cinna's grip.

They chuckled, and Cinna loosened his grip a bit.

"Hello," Portia said, sensing how badly the girl wished to run. "Go ahead and let her go, Cinna. It's obvious her focus is elsewhere."

Smiling, he let go of Katniss's arm, laughing as she made a beeline for her escort and mentor. Haymitch managed to grab her before she could get to Effie, picking her up and holding her out to the woman for a hug. Effie took her, surprising the two stylists, before saying something and turning toward the elevators. Gale took his cue and followed after them, leaving the two alone.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Portia asked, never having known Effie to show such affection toward a tribute.

"Maybe she's grown attached," Cinna said, a tone of sadness coating his voice.

Portia hummed in agreement, both aware of how that would turn out.

* * *

><p>"You two were fabulous!" Effie gushed as they entered the elevator.<p>

Gale simply grunted and turned his attention elsewhere, causing the woman to frown.

"Is it gonna be like this all the time?" Katniss questioned, her head resting on Effie's shoulder, energy drained.

"Well, sometimes, yes," the woman responded, eyes meeting Haymitch's over the child's head.

"Until we die," Gale chimed in, and Katniss tightened her grip on her escort.

"Shut up, boy," Haymitch growled, wishing he could do something to quiet him.

Apparently, his little speech on the train hadn't helped. The rest of the ride was spent in tense silence, Effie trying to calm Katniss down. Luckily, the girl forgot her fear when the elevator doors opened on the penthouse.

"Woah, she gasped, suddenly wide awake.

She had never seen something so glamorous or large. She began to shift in the older woman's grip, anxious to go explore. Grinning, Effie set her down, amusement flooding through her as Katniss explored the penthouse. Haymitch hauled Gale away by the arm, presumably to his room for a lecture, something that wasn't his strong point. Effie, realizing the girl's makeup needed to come off, coaxed her into her new bedroom, where she removed it and left her to her own devices while she attended to some potential sponsors.

As she tucked her in later that night, something she had never done before Katniss, she felt something akin to love surge forward, especially when the child pressed a sleepy kiss to her cheek. Effie touched the spot, amazed and a little frightened. She had never felt this attached to a tribute, and it could only mean trouble. But she also couldn't hurt the girl's feelings by withdrawing from her. Confused yet again, she left Katniss to sleep, hoping some rest of her own would clear her head.


End file.
